Honda CR-V stolen from Ionia auto repair shop's locked lot

The right front corner panel of the vehicle may be damaged from the impact with the fence, and the "H" emblem from the front of the vehicle is missing. The vehicle also is missing two hubcaps.

Karen Botakaren.bota@sentinel-standard.com

The Ionia Department of Public Safety is investigating the theft of a SUV over the weekend from Lillie's Foreign & Domestic Auto Repair.The department was contacted late Saturday morning, Aug. 16, by business owner Harry Lillie, who reported that a gray 2003 Honda CR-V was stolen from a locked, gated area behind the building at 205 S. Steele St. late Friday night or early Saturday morning, according to IDPS Deputy Director John Odette said. There also was damage to the fence.It appears that the gate may have been forced open when the thief drove the vehicle through the fence. The sliding gate was lying on the ground, Odette said.The vehicle was unlocked and the keys were left inside.The right front corner panel of the vehicle may be damaged from the impact with the fence, and the "H" emblem from the front of the vehicle is missing. It was found near the fence. In addition, the vehicle is missing two hubcaps, Odette said.The owner of the CR-V was notified, and the investigation of the theft is continuing. Anyone with information about the incident or the vehicle's whereabouts is asked to contact the Ionia Department of Public Safety at 616-527-4431 or Ionia County Central Dispatch at 616-527-0400.Motor vehicle thefts are not a large problem in Ionia, said Odette. The department investigates about two to three each year.The National Insurance Crime Bureau suggests four "layers of protection" to avoid becoming a victim of motor vehicle theft:

Lock your car and take your keys.
Use a visible or audible warning device.
Consider an immobilizing device: "Kill" switches, fuel cut-offs and smart keys are some of the most effective devices.
A tracking device, which emits a signal to law enforcement or a monitoring company when the vehicle is stolen, helps in the recovery. Some systems use combined GPS and wireless technologies for remote monitoring of a vehicle through a computer.
Follow Karen Bota on Twitter @KarenB_ISS.